Suction cleaner



Nov. 2, 1943. Q Q BECKER I 2,333,512

- SUCTION CLEANER Filed April 9, 1934 Z SheetS-Sheet l INVENTOR flernara' Gfiecker ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1943. a. c. BECKER 2,333,512

SUCTION CLEANER Filed April 9. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 2, 1943 Bernard C Becker, Canton, Ohio, assign'or to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a c'orporation of'Ohiof' Application- April 9, 1934, Serial No. #19303 16 Claims. (01. ti -1'27) The present inventionrelates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to new and novel improvementsinsuction cleaner od'orizer units.

More specifically the inventioncomprises anodorizer unit which is built into the cleaner and which includes valve m'ean's whicrr function to control the flow of air-past a redolent volatile medium.

It is anobject of the invention to provide a new and improved odorizer unit a suction cleanen It is another objector tliejihvention to provide an odorizer unit whichis manually controllable. Still another object is a provision; in a suction cleaner, of a new and improved manually controllable odorizer-unit, in which clean air passes a volatile substance and thereafter enters the main air stream through the cleaner. A still further object is the provision, in a suction cleaner, or an improved odorizer' unit including valve means Which' aIe manually" operable and'which seal the volatile element from atmosphere to prevent unintended vaporization when the cleaner is not in'u'se. Still another object is the provision, as anaccessory 'for a suction cleaner, of an odorizer unit which includes a replaceable redolent volatile element which is opened to a stream of air by a manually controllable'valve, which valve also functions to interrupt the air' stream and seal the element. These and other more specific objects will -appear upon reading .the following specifications and claims, and: upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which the same reference characters'refer'to the same parts throughout:

Figure l is a side elevation of a modern suction cleaner embodying the present invention Figure '7 is a. section through the manually controllable valve upon the line 'l--'! of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a section upon th'elline 8- 8 of Fig urefi, illustrating the secondary air passageway and'the control valve; r

Figure 9 is sectionisimilar to-Figure 8 but with a control valve in the off position; V

Figure 10 is-a-topview ofthe odorizer' unit in a disassembled-0r exploded relationship. Inthe operation of an efficient suction-cleaner foreign matterof many types is removed from the article undergoingcleaning- This matter-is carried through the cleaner proper by themovingair stream andexhausted into the cleaner dust bag where the foreign matter is removed: and thefair-passesthrough the filtering medium to the exterior atmosphere. Modern dust bags are highly efficient and'remove practicallyall of the suspended foreign matter from the air; There-is-,'however,a very small percentage of fine foreign matter which leaks through the filtering fabric and'is objectionable'as it islight and easily 'carried-'--by'the 'air' and becomes -no-' ticeable" to the user through coming. into contact with hisnost'rilsv The user may sense aslight odor of dust as a result.-

In' a suction" cleaner constructed in accord"- ance with the present invention an odorizer unit is embodied in the machine'and causes a moving stream of clean airv to" pass over a volatile sub-- stance Certaijnof the volatile substance evaporates into. the air and iscarr-ied thereby into the cleaner dustbag, and passes therethrough into the surrounding atmosphere. This volatile element gives ofi-a pleasant odor and shields the slightrdust o'dor aforementioned. As the vola' the substance is: usually volatile at room temperatures it is desirable that it be sealed from the atmosphere when the machine is not in use; and to" accomplish this purpose manually controlled valve-means are provided in the present inventidn-whichdopen and close the 'air passageways leading to andfrornthe'substance which isotherwise" sealed-"from atmosphere.

Referring nowto-Figure 1 in particular a mod? ern suction cleaner isshown in which a main casing; includinga nozzle I, a fan casing 2, and an exhaust outlet 3 is" movably supported upon the surface? covering undergoing cleaning by means'of front and rear wheels 4, l and 5; 5; A motor'casing' 6' is positioned immediately above the fan chamber 2 and'the motor shaft 1 is extended downwardly through the fan chamber;

this passagewaythe" shaft is provided' with-a pulley H) which is engaged by an agitator-driving belt II. The air passageway adjacent the fan chamber is completed by a removable pulley cover or housing member l2. The cleaner also in cludes a pivoted handle l3 by means of which the operator can exert a propelling force and, as in all suction cleaners of this type, a dust bag I4 is provided which is removably secured to the exhaust outlet 3 by means l5.

In the operation of this cleaner the closing of an unshown motor switch on the handle l3 causes electric current to pass through the driving motor positioned within casing 6 and the motor shaft I rotates carrying with it the suction-creating fan 8. The rotation of fan 8 creates a reduced pressure which draws cleaning air through the nozzle past any agitating means which may be provided therein through the air passageway formed by housing l2, into fan chamber 2, and exhausts the air through the outlet 3 into bag |4. Substantially all the suspended foreign matter in the air is filtered therefrom as the air passes through the bag and into the exterior atmosphere.

According to the present invention the pulley cover or housing 2 is constructed integrally with an odorizer unit. The member is seen to comprise bottom and side walls which enclose the eye'il of the fan chamber and mate with the air passageway opening in the nozzle I. Forwardlyprojecting lugs l8, l8 on-the forward edges of the side walls of the unit are adapted to cooperate with correspondingly shaped sockets in the nozzle to support the front end of the member. A rearwardly extending lug I9 is adapted to cooperate with a manually operable lock to support the rear end. These cooperating means secure the unit in place on the cleaner proper and make possible its easy removal when necessary for the attachment of dusting tools to the eye 3 of the fan chamber or for the replacement of belt As is illustrated in Figure 6 unit I2 is provided with a transversely extending cylindrical bore or seat 22. A removable open ended'v ial or bottle 23 is positioned within seat 22 with its open end forced against a ring washer or seal 24 by a spring-pressed plunger construction 25 which is carried by a pivoted cap 26 adapted to overlie and close seat 22. To remove bottle 23 from its seat it is necessary only to manually depress a leaf spring latch 2! which normally overlies the inturned edge'of cap 26. Cap 26 can then be pivoted to let the bottle be withdrawn from its seat.

A valve chamber 28 opens intov the inner end of seat 22 through the seal 24, being smaller in diameter than the open end 01 Vial 23. As is shown'in Figures 8and 9 chamber 28is connected to the atmosphere by an air passageway 29 and to a point of low pressure in the machine by a passageway 30 which leads to the interior of member l2. The two passageways 29and 30, it is to be noted, are open to valve chamber 28 at circumferentially spaced points.

A rotatable valve 3| is positioned in chamber 28 and makes sealing contact with the enclosing walls thereof. Valve 3| is hollow and is formed with openings or ports 33 and '34 which areadapted to mate with passageways 29 and 30, respectively. The valve is alsoformed with a longitudinally extending wall or barrier 32 which divides the valve chamber into two parallel passageways leading from passageways 29 and 30 to the mouth of vial 23. The inner headed end of valve 3| is positioned. within seat 22-and makes sealing contact with ring washer 24 which en- 4| in the casing |2.

closes it, the relationship being such that no air passes between the outer wall of valve 3| and the walls of valve chamber 28.

A stem 35 extends outwardly from valve 3| through a suitable bore 33 and is provided on its outer end with an enclosing cap 31 which is held in place by means of a screw 38. Casing I2 is counterbored at the end of bore 36 and a coiled spring 33 is provided Which urges the valve outwardly and maintains the inner headed end thereof against its seat. Stem 35 is provided with a shoulder 40 which fits within an arcuate seat Seat 4| is of such extent that the valve may be rotated, by means of the 7 cap 31 and stem 35, between the on and off positions illustrated respectively in Figures 8 and 9. In order'that the user may be informed as to the relationship existing in the unit a marker 42 is placed on the casing inside the cap 31 which is provided with a cutaway portion 43 through which the marker is visible. The words on and ofij, positioned at the ends of this cutaway section, are; found positioned opposite the marker when the valve is positioned as shown in Figures 8 and 9, respectively.

The manually-operable cap 31 at the end of valve 3| is positionedrearwardly of and at one side of the casing l2, as is clearly seen in Figure 6, in which position it is readily'operated by the user with the'machine positioned upon the floor. The parts are so related that the operator can see from his place above the machine whether the unit is'in the on or in the off positionby means of the marker 42.

The construction of the odorizer unit assembly is extremely simple; The vial 23 comprises a separately saleable unit which is replaceable when the volatile element has become exhausted." The bottleis so constructed that a removablecork or cap can seal the contents from the atmosphere when not-positioned within the unit. In its preferred form the volatile substance is a liquid carried by a carryingmedium in which capillary action moves more liquid to themouth of the bottle as vaporization takes place. It is imperative that the volatile substance does not run out of the mouth of the bottle when the bottle is placed on its side as when in use.

The valve of the unit i assembled by inserting the valve element through the enlarged seat 22 which receives the bottle and :passing it therethrough until the valve 3| seats within its chamber28 at which time the stem 35 will be extended through the casing. A coil spring 39 surrounds the outer end of the stem and is held in place by theenclosing manually rotatable cap 31 which is itself secured to the stem by the screw 38'. After 'the valve has been positioned at the time of construction it should not require further attention. I

In the use of the invention 7 air passes through the cleaner nozzle, the unit housing l2, into the fan chamber 2, and is exhausted into the dust bag l4. If the cap 31 is so positioned that the marker 42 is opposite the word off then the interior of bottle 23 is sealed by the valve 3| from the suction inlet-of the fan chamber and from atmosphere, and air neither passes into nor out of the bottle. Upon the rotation of the cap 31 so'that the word on is opposite the marker 42 the valve is rotated from the position shown in Figure 9 to that shown in Figure 8 and the ports 33 and 34 are open to the passageways 29 and 30. As passageway 30 is connected to a point of low pressure air is drawn from the surrounding atmosphere; dowir'the' passageway 29, thru the port-"3'3, thru thevalve chamber to the 'IllOllllh-0f "the vial, back the other side of the valve chamber as defined by the barrier 32, and thru port 35 and passageway 38 and into the main air stream.

I claim: 7

1. In a suction cleaner including 'suction-creating means and a-mairr cleaning air passage-' way connected to said means, air auxiliary fresh air passageway connected tosaidmeans, a re-' ceptacle for a volatile agentconnected interme-- diate the'ends of said auxiliaryair passageway, a rotatable valve to sealfsaid-receptacle from said passageway, manuallyoperable means to actuate said valve, and means to indicate the relationship or" said valve;-' I

2. In a suction cleaner including suction-era ating means and a main cleaning air passageway connected to said meansyan auxiliary fresh air passageway open to atmosphere and to said means, a removable receptacle for a volatile agent open to said auxiliary air passageway, means removably locking said receptacle in place, and valve means controlling the flow of air thru said auxiliary air passageway and adapted to seal said receptacle from atmosphere and from said suction-creating means.

3. In a suction cleaner including suction-creating means and a main cleaning air passageway connected to said means, an auxiliary fresh air passageway open to atmosphere and to said means, an open-ended removable receptacle for a volatile agent open to said auxiliary passageway to permit air circulation in said receptacle, a seal seating the periphery of the open mouth of said receptacle, and means resiliently urging said receptacle against said seal.

4. In a suction cleaner including suction-creating means and a main cleaning air passageway connected to said means, an auxiliary fresh air passageway open to atmosphere and to said means, an open-ended removable volatileagent-containing receptacle open to said aux.- iliary passageway so that air will circulate therein, sealing means seating the open mouth of said receptacle to prevent air leakage into said receptacle or said auxiliary assageway, a removable member overlying the closed end of said receptacle, and resilient means carried by said removable member contacting and urging said receptacle against said seal.

5. In a suction cleaner including suction-creating means and a main cleaning air passageway connected to said means, an auxiliary clean air passageway open to atmosphere and to said means to convey a stream of air therebetween, an open-ended removable receptacle for a volatile agent open to said auxiliary passageway so that air will circulate therein, a seal seating the open mouth of said receptacle in sealed relationship to said passageway, and means retaining said receptacle in seating relationship with said seal.

6. In a suction cleaner including suction-creating means and a main cleaning air passageway connected to said means, an aux liary clean air passageway open to atmosphere and to said means to convey a stream of air therebetween, an open-ended removable receptacle for a volatile agent open to said auxiliary passageway so that air will circulate therein, a seal seating the open mouth of said receptacle in sealed rela" tionship to said passageway, a pivoted cover member overlying the closed end of said receptacle, a spring latch securing said cover'm'em her in place, and resilient means carried bysaid cover member contacting and urgin saiel 'receptacle againstsaid seal,

' 7. In a suction cleaner including suction-creating means and a main cleaning air passageway connected to said means, an auxiliary clean air passageway connected toatmosphere and to" said suction-creating means, said auxiliary passage way including a valve chamber, a closed volatile agent receptacle open to said auxiliary passage-- way at'said valve" chamber, and manually oper'-- able' valve means in said chamber toopen said auxiliary passageway to'saidreceptacle or toseal said receptacle from atmosphere and said sue tion-creating means.

8. Ina suction cleaner including suction-creating means, an auxiliary airpassageway connected to atmosphere and to' saidsuction-creatingmeans, said auxiliary passageway including a valve chamber having an inlet and an outlet, avolatile agent receptacle open to the inlet and the outlet of said valve chamber, a manually rotatable valve in said chamber including means to close the inlet and outlet of said chamber, and means to indicate the valve position.

9. In a suction cleaner including suction-creating means, an auxiliary air passageway connected to atmosphere and to said suction-creating means, said auxiliary passageway including a valve chamber, a volatile agent receptacle open to said auxiliary passageway at said valve chamber, a rotatable valve including stops for the inlet and outlet of said chamber and a barrier, said barrier dividing said chamber so that air passing therethru must travel the length of said barrier to the said receptacle, said valve also including a manually rotatable stem by which said valve may be controlled.

10. In a suction cleaner, a combination pulleyhouse-cover and odorizer unit comprising a body adapted to form a part of the air passageway between a nozzle and a fan chamber, said body provided exteriorly with a seat for a volatile agent receptacle, means to releasably secure a receptacle in said seat, a chamber at one end of said seat and open thereto, means connecting said chamber to atmosphere and to the interior of said body, and a manually operable valve in said chamber to control the flow of air therethru.

11. A vacuum cleaner including a casing having an inlet port and outlet port, means for producing flow of air through said casing, a hollow part integral with said casing and opening to the interior of said casing, and a holding memher for air conditioning material removably positioned within said hollow part, said hollow part and said holding member being disposed away from the center of the air stream through said casing so as to provide for free flow of air through the casing, the opening of said hollow part to the interior of said casing being closable from outside said casing.

12. A vacuum cleaner including a, casing formed with an inlet port and an outlet port and including a removable cover member, means for producing flow of air through the space enclosed by said cover member, a hollow part integral with said cover member and opening to said space, a holding member for air conditioning material removably positioned within said hollow part, and means accessible from outside said casing to close the opening of said hollow part to said space.

13. A vacuum cleaner including a casing formed with an inlet port and anout1et port, mean for'producing flow of air through said casing, a hollow part integral with said casing, said hollow part opening to both the interior and exterior of said casing, and a holdingmember for air conditioning material insertable into said hollow part through the exterior opening, the interior opening being closable from outside said casing. y

14. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a main dirty air passageway connected to said means, a secondary clean air passageway including a portion passing a volatile agent connected to said means and to atmosphere to convey clean air from the latter to the former, valve means to seal said portion from the suctioncreating means, valve means to seal said portion from atmosphere, and manually operable means to position said valve means. I

15. In a, suction cleaner, suction-creatin means, a main dirty air passageway connected to the suction side of said means, a secondary clean air passageway connected to atmospher and to the suction side of said means, a, receptacle for a volatile agent open to said secondary passageway intermediate its ends, valve means to seal said receptacle from atmosphere and from said suction-creating means, and manually operable means to position said valve means. 

